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City of Palo Alto

Palo Alto is a diverse, well-to- do, well-educated community of high-techbusinesses, locally owned companies and over 26,000 homes. The city coversalmost 26 square miles, encompassing the area stretching from SanFrancisquito Creek to the north toward San Antonio Road to the south, andfrom the San Francisco Bay to the Skyline Ridge.

Palo Alto was created by Leland Stanford Sr. when he established StanfordUniversity. It is home to nearly 65,000 residents, but during the week,commuters flock to the area for the many businesses that operate there.Home to a myriad of well known artists, entertainers, business leaders,entrepreneurs, politicians, civil servants, writers, scientists and athletes, PaloAlto is a dynamic community rich in culture and committed to excellence inevery regard. Residents take pride in the their homes, environment, schools,work and education, values that translate to high cost of housing throughoutits 33 neighborhoods.

Palo Alto, Stanford and the surrounding communities offer activities for allages and interests. Stanford campus attractions include Hoover Tower,Memorial Church, Cantor Arts Center and the Rodin Sculpture Garden, as wellas a central campus that is always jumping with activity. The Gamble Garden,Palo Alto Junior Museum &amp; Zoo, Museum of American Heritage and WinterLodge Ice Skating Rink offer plenty of family adventures. Bustling UniversityAvenue, Stanford Shopping Center, California Avenue and the Midtown PaloAlto shopping district present a lively array of shopping and dining choices.Palo Alto has more than 4,500 acres of parkland and much open space. Nearly30 neighborhood parks offer an assortment of amenities including children&#39;splaygrounds, picnic tables, playing fields and walking paths, as well as tenniscourts, basketball courts, skate bowls, community gardens, dog exercise areasand par courses. The Parks and Recreation Department optimizes the use ofthese resources by providing a broad range of recreational and educationalactivities for residents from preschoolers to seniors.

The city's flat terrain and many tree-lined residential streets offer peacefuland safe travels to cyclists and walkers. As many as 9.5% of residents bike towork, and 4.8 % of residents walk. Two easily accessible Caltrain stops roundout the community’s potential for a dynamic mid-Peninsula lifestyle.